I used my fitness pal to track calories for a couple of weeks. I found calorie counting discouraging though so I have since stopped. While I don't want to be having to clock everything I eat, I want to at least have an idea of what I'm eating and I know what I should and shouldn't be eating. According to that, I should be eating 1,200 calories to reach my target. But I think it could be too little. I was reading someone's goal story this afternoon and got me thinking about this. I used a calculator which was posted and had me currently (well this would have been before I was watching what I was eating) eating just over 2200 calories to maintain the weight I was at. The user suggested to subtract at least 500 calories from this in order to lose weight bringing me to 1700 calories.

Currently I'm eating a small-medium lunch, medium to large dinner and some snacks in between (Snacks being fruit). I have found myself very hungry though and was thinking of increasing my calories and maybe having an extra meal in the evening times. I'm usually against eating after 7 or 8pm but I fear if I don't have something light after that I will bringe causing what I did for exercise and the good eating I did for that day to go to waste.

I don't know a lot about weight loss and increasing calories and that so I was wondering would adding another meal (Around 200/300 calories, maybe like a ham toastie or fruit salad) in the evenings effect my weight loss? Would I be risking myself at eating later in the evenings? How effective/uneffective would eating in the evenings be? As well as increasing my calorie intake?

It doesn't matter at all what time of day you eat. Have you thought of pushing back your mealtimes and eating the highest volume possible?

According to your height I think 1200-1300 would be the recommended number of cals to lose weight. I am 5 ft tall and that is what I ate for 6 months to lose around 24 pounds (with light to moderate activity). I did go hungry some days, but those were the days when I did not eat enough veggies. Salad and soup could be your allies to eat a large volume of food for few calories. Good luck!

How do you mean highest possible volume?

I could push them back, for sure. I'd have lunch between 1 and 2. Dinner could be anytime between 4 and 6. I find if I eat around 6, I'm not as hungry by the time 10pm comes around. But I'll look into pushing them back more and sticking to lunch at 12 and dinner maybe around 5. That way I could have something then before 9ish or so. Would you think that would work?

Thanks inglesita64. I wouldn't mind sticking to 1,200 or around there is I could find foods that don't make me go hungry. I don't eat salad or soup but I should probably get starting to try newer foods. I don't have a big variety.

This is a link on how I do high volume for low calories. You just bulk up everything with non-starchy vegetables so you can eat to satisfaction without going over your calorie limits.

What are you eating at your meals?

Typically;

Lunch would be a sandwich with ham or chicken or some kind of meat. Maybe or may not have a cup of tea and always a bottle of water. I would usually have one or two pieces of fruit also.

Dinner is generally a homecooked dinner with lean meat (My mum is on a diet by doctors orders so she has been buying lean meat last few weeks), potatoes and peas.

I might have another piece of fruit an hour or two after dinner if I'm feeling peckish and also to fight any cravings of sweet things. I'd also drink between 2 and 2.5 litres of water during the day.

My dinner plate is average sized, and a decent amount of food, but I'm just finding myself hungry in the evening times.

Why no breakfast?
What else is on your sandwich? What kind/size of bread?
Where are your veggies?

I would try something more like this:

B: egg white omelet with spinach
L: sandwich (since you like them) consisting of: lean meat, slice of cheese, veggies of choice, on ezekiel bread. side salad or side of veggies.
D: Lean meat, side of veggies (peas and potatoes don't count as veggies), dinner salad with olive oil, potato OR peas
S: piece of fresh fruit

Since it's the summer, I'm never really up for breakfast and during the school year, I'm up too early and my stomach can't take breakfast. I always feel ill, so I don't eat it. I know it's probably a force of habit now and that is why my stomach can't take it. But there is nothing worse than having something and then having to commute on a train for two hours feeling sick.

That would be all I'd have on my sandwich. It's usually on white bread but couple of times on whole meal bread.

And I don't eat vegetables. I'm an extremely picky eater. I also don't eat eggs, spinach, cheese or salad. So, I don't think your food plan would be ideal for me.